


The Formal Weather Pattern

by tvparty18



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4996432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvparty18/pseuds/tvparty18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy finds herself in a pickle when she agrees to bring her boyfriend home for Thanksgiving. The only problem...Darcy doesn't really have a boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: Stormy Weather

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, that's all mine. Everything else belongs to Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin Feige and anyone else involved in “Thor," “Captain America,” and “the Avengers.” “The Formal Weather Pattern” is taken from the title a song by Something Corporate. “Stormy Weather” is a super old song.

 

_“It’s gonna rain all day. With the life that I have made, here, all covered up in gray, it’s gonna rain all day.”- Dan Andriano in the Emergency Room_

To say Darcy’s mother was upset about Darcy missing out on her sister’s engagement party would have been the under statement of the year and is precisely the reason why Darcy has chosen to start ignoring her mother’s frequent phone calls three weeks before Thanksgiving.

She’s on her fourth cup of coffee and trolling through numerical data when the familiar chirp of R2-D2 rings through the lab for what feels like the millionth time that morning.

“Who the hell is texting you?” Jane finally asks, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

“It’s my mom…again. I skipped Allison’s party…”

“I told you you didn’t have to.” Jane looks up from her computer long enough to raise an eyebrow at Darcy.

“I know, I know. But now she’s really on me about Thanksgiving.” Darcy sighs and takes a chug of her coffee.

“So go.” Jane says simply with a shrug, “You know I’m going to Asgard and the Tower’ll be empty. Go see your mom.”

“It’s not just Mom, though. It’s Allie and her stupid new fiancé and it’s judgmental grandparent’s disapproving stares and it’s running into people from high school. Barf.”

“You have a great life, Darcy!”

“I know I do but its all covert and I have to tell everyone I’m just a lowly assistant taking night classes. I just wish I could avoid all familial time for the foreseeable future and spend Thanksgiving weekend with Chinese food and the Freaks and Geeks box set. It’d be better if I had someone to go with me to cushion the blow but that's totally not possible.”

“Thor would definitely be your pretend boyfriend if we weren’t checking in on Loki.”

Darcy laughed and her eyes grew wide, “I appreciate the thought but you might actually be onto something. I’m gonna call her.”

“Do I wanna know where your brain is going right now?”

Darcy stopped as she opened the door and looked back at Jane, “Nope.”

Her mother picked up on the third ring as Darcy was pacing the hallway.

“Darcy, honey! I’ve been trying for ages to get a hold of you.”

“I know, Mom, I’m sorry. The reception here is awful.”

“Don’t you work in Stark Tower?”

“Yeah…but um…in the basement?” Darcy stopped her pacing to nod at Bucky who was making his way into one of Tony’s labs. “I wanted to talk to you. I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to Thanksgiving this year.”

“Oh Darcy, doesn’t Jane ever give you a day off?”

“No, it’s not Jane. I’ve been seeing someone…for a couple months now and we’re gonna spend Thanksgiving with his family.”

“You have a boyfriend?!? And you didn’t think to tell me! Oh Darcy why can’t you bring him home to us?”

“I didn’t want to jinx anything.” Darcy sighed, “It's still pretty casual and we already promised his sister.”

“Darcy that’s not fair. Your family is important too and you couldn’t even come to Allie’s engagement party. She was devastated.”

“I’m sure she was.”

“Hey, watch the sarcasm. She and Jeff will be here and you know Nonnie would love to see you. Darcy, please?”

Darcy had tuned her mother out for half a second to turn her attention on Clint asking her to grab lunch. However, she must've been suffering from some sort of brain shortage when she said “Okay, sure” to Clint instead of nodding like she should’ve done.

“Oh, Darcy! Oh that’s wonderful! Make sure to bring your boyfriend!” It took Darcy a minute to catch up to what actually happened and by the time she managed to explain her mother was talking a mile a minute, “I’m so happy Darcy. We haven’t seen you in almost a year. I can’t wait. Gotta run, though, Mrs. Whitman’s knocking at the door again. Love you!” And with that the phone call ended.

Darcy slid against the wall, head in her hands. She counted down five minutes before heading back into the lab.

“How’d it go?” Jane asked, not bothering to look up from her computer.

“I’m an idiot.” Darcy slumped in her chair and clicked aimlessly at the pages on her desktop.

“And?” Jane asked.

“I tried to tell Mama Lewis I couldn’t make it to dinner because I had already promised my new boyfriend I’d be with his family and somehow my brain shorted out and when I said ‘yes’ to having lunch with Clint she took it as ‘yes, my boyfriend and I will blow off seeing his family and spend the second worst holiday in existence with you instead.”

Jane finally looked up from the screen and brushed a stray piece of hair from her eyes, “You have a boyfriend?”

“No.” Darcy sighed, “But now I need to get one.”

When the lunch hour rolled around, Darcy made her way to the cafeteria and found her usual spot at the table in the corner occupied not only by Clint but Steve and Bucky also. Her brain clicked when she saw the three of them laughing over something.

In the year she had been at the Tower, she knew Clint the best. He had a similar love of sarcasm and candy corn and action movies so he and Darcy naturally bonded during century long briefings and awkward medical exams. Once in a while he would come over and watch baseball while she worked on homework. On her birthday he shot an arrow with balloons attached through the window of her sociology class. He was a good dude. He was like the brother Darcy always wanted. And his dog was fucking awesome.

It seemed like nobody, Darcy definitely included, really knew Steve except maybe Bucky and Sam and Nat. He was always nice to Darcy and she appreciated his brief bouts of snarkiness. He also always smelled good. Like freedom! He went out of his way, one day when she ran into him in the library, to help her track down an original manuscript she needed for a source. He was an honorable man and Darcy tried her best to mind her manners and say all her please and thank yous when he was around because she desperately (and she'd never tell anyone this) wanted Steve's approval. 

Truth be told, Bucky kind of scared Darcy but it wasn’t because of anything obvious. He always looked thoughtful, wayward. He was polite enough and one time he got her a drink at some fundraiser or another where the bartender kept ignoring her. It had been for some charity that Pepper made Tony donate money too. Something about saving the whales or cacti or something. It was at a big restaurant in the center of the city and Darcy felt like an idiot for going but Tony had sent a "mandatory attendance" message and she had bought a dress and showed up. At that point, Bucky hadn't talked much to anyone in the Tower except for Steve so Darcy was more than a little taken back when he saddled up to the bar next to her and laughed as she stood on the stool rung and attempted to wave over the the other people around her. She was ready to give whoever the laughter belonged to a piece of her mind as she stepped down from the stool but she reigned it in when she saw who the source of the laughter was. Everyone had steered clear of Bucky at that point. He was still the Winter Solider to most of them and while Darcy didn't know the full details, she had to admit he scared her too. He was always sulking around the labs in all black with his hair falling into his eyes. He had cleaned himself up for the event, forced into a suit by Tony (probably) and had his hair pulled back which painted a rather nice picture. Darcy still tried her best to narrow her eyes and look somewhat intimidating even though it felt like her towered over her and she was definitely not checking out how his shoulders stretched the suit. Definitely not.

"Can I help you?" She crossed her arms and leaned against the bar.

"I think you're the one that needs the help, doll."

"I was doing just fine, thanks." She started to climb back up the stool but he touched her arm lightly.

"What're you drinking?" She noticed he had dropped all flirtation but still kept a small smile on his face.

"Well, they don't have my shitty beer so I guess I'm stuck with a gin and tonic."

"Right-O." 

Darcy was about to explain how the bartender didn't even bother coming down to their end of the bar when Bucky put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

Half the party, including the bartender turned and looked. Bucky waved him over. "Yeah, the lady would like a gin and tonic and I'll take a bourbon on the rocks. Thanks."

He tapped the bar with his metal hand but when he noticed Darcy looking he shoved it in his pocket.

"It's not a big deal, you know." He looked at her quizzically, "Your arm. Everyone has weird things. It's just that most people's aren't visible."

He ran his human hand through the stray hairs that were coming out of the tie. "It goes a little deeper than that, Darcy."

She was about to answer when the bartender returned with their drinks. Darcy and Bucky offered their thanks at the same time while Bucky handed the bartender his cash.

Bucky handed Darcy her drink, saluted her with his own glass, and made his way back to the corner he had been hiding in.

After that whenever Darcy had seen him around she always gave him a smile or a nod or a wave. One time she was bold enough to elbow him lightly in the elevator. He kept his eyes straight ahead, listening to Maria's briefing but Darcy felt his elbow hit her side for just a second. Bucky still scared her, though. Who knows how many people the Winter Solider had killed but there was something about him, something that intrigued Darcy more than anything.

But as she approached the table, and took in beautiful, damaged Steve, her buddy Clint, and super spy/award winning whistler Bucky, she realized that this was about as good as it was going to get as far as fake boyfriends were concerned.

Steve smiled and waved as she walked up to the table. Bucky was skimming the newspaper but looked up and nodded. Clint patted the seat next to him and elbowed her lightly when she sat down.

“Afternoon boys.” She offered, pulling her chair up to the table. “I am in need of some assistance.”

“Whatcha got, Darce?” Clint asked.

“I need a fake boyfriend for Thanksgiving.”

Bucky laughed so hard he almost fell off of his seat, “Bet Tony could build you one.”

“Not like that, doofus. Seriously, my mom’s guilt tripping me into coming home and I may have told her I had a boyfriend I was supposed to spend the holiday with. It turned into a misunderstanding and now she thinks I’ve bringing him home. It’s just for a couple days.” She tried her best to bat her eyelashes.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, “If something doesn’t come up, I could probably step in.”

Darcy wanted to cry. “Steve, my dear, you are perfect but nobody will believe we're dating. I was thinking more along the lines of these two…”

She side eyed Bucky and Clint who had spread Bucky’s newspaper across the table where both sets of eyes were engrossed on the black and white print.

“Come on, guys. Please?”

Clint finally looked up and a gave her a sad smile, “I promised my brother I’d spend it with him.”

“Bucky?”

“You don’t want me, Darcy.”

“Okay…well. Thanks anyway, guys. It was a stupid idea anyway.” She started to pick at the macaroni and cheese on her plate and avoid making eye contact with all of them.

Thankfully she only had to endure ten awkward minutes before Jane was calling her with some sort of lab meltdown and a request for a burrito.

Two nights later, she was in her living room crying over the latest Hallmark movie when someone knocked on her door.

She peered through the peephole to find Bucky on the other side, holding a pizza and a six pack of beer and staring at his shoes.

She opened the door slowly, “Hey. What’re you doing here?”

“I came to talk.” He raised his arm holding the pizza box, “mushroom. And that shitty beer you like so much.”

“How’d you know?” She stepped aside and ushered him in.

“Every social setting I’ve ever seen you in you always complain about how no one has it north of Baltimore. I had a meeting in D.C. today.”

“Sam? I’ll get plates, you can sit it on the coffee table. Just push the books on the floor.”

He nodded and made his way to the living room, raising his voice slightly. “He’s the reason I’m here. Well, he and Steve. They think I could use a few days away. Not mission related.”

It was weird having him in her apartment. She didn’t even bother to ask how he knew where to go. It was on file at Stark and he probably could’ve asked Jane or Clint who were, to her knowledge, the only people who had actually been to her apartment.

He was sitting in one of her Goodwill armchairs examining one of her books when she walked in with a stack of plates and a bottle opener. To say he looked out of place was an understatement. He was dressed in his uniform of black sweat pants and grey hoodie and his hair was tied back in a small bun with pieces falling into his face. He was too big for the chair he had picked and she watched for a second as he changed his position, trying to get himself comfortable. The bright yellow velvet fabric was a stark contrast to the bleak shades of Bucky. He shifted around again before giving up and moving to the old purple sofa where he settled in.

“You want a glass?” She asked as she took a seat in the chair he abandoned and set two plates on the coffee table.

He shook his head and grabbed a plate for himself and gave her a small smile, “Nah.”

Bucky doled out the slices and then the beer. Darcy handed him the bottle opener. “Let me keep your cap. They have riddles on the bottom. I collect them.”

Bucky examined the riddle before handing it over to her, “This one’s easy.”

She smiled at him and bit her pizza. “So you need a weekend away, huh?”

“Yeah. And I was thinking, it probably took a lot for you to ask. And I was kind of a dick about it.”

She shrugged. “It was a weird thing to ask. I tried really hard to get out of going home but then it sort of blew up in my face.”

“Why don’t you wanna go?” He took a sip of his beer, “this is fucking horrible.”

Darcy laughed and raised her bottle to her lips, “still love it. It’s dumb, really. My sister, perfect sister, got engaged last month and that will bring on the Allison verses Darcy comparisons and truthfully, my life is so much more accomplished than Allie’s but I cant tell any of them that so all they think is I’m a lab assistant with a useless degree who’s back in school to prolong the fact that I’m a failure at all things. It’d be easier if I had something to show them. Plus there’s the social obligations of going home and Baltimore’s a small city and I always run into people I don’t want to see and it’s the same thing all over again.”

“How long are you going?”

“Get there Tuesday after rush hour and leave Friday.”

“I just don’t want anything to happen, Darcy. I’ve been trying to distance myself. I don’t know how much you know but it’s worse than they say. I know it is.”

“What’d Sam say?”

“He said I need this. It could do me some good being around civilians. But he also told me that you have to put Steve and Tony on panic dial just in case. And I need to be able to run or something in the mornings.”

“Yeah, yeah of course.” She took a bit of her pizza and swallowed. “Does this mean…”

“Yeah, yeah doll. I’ll be your boyfriend.”

Darcy lunged across the sofa and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re the best, Barnes!”

Bucky laughed nervously and shoved her off. “This better be foolproof.”

Darcy smiled as she brought her beer bottle to her lips. “We’re gonna need another six pack.”


	2. Chapter Two: Storm Is Coming, We Feel Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, that's all mine. Everything else belongs to Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin Feige and anyone else involved in “Thor," “Captain America,” and “the Avengers.” “A Formal Weather Pattern” is taken from the title a song by Something Corporate. “Storm is coming, we feel fine” is from the Bouncing Souls song Comet. Tony Manero is the main character in Saturday Night Fever. All the places Darcy and Bucky venture to are real.

_“_ _I have a picture of you and me in Brooklyn. On a porch, it was raining._

_Hey, I remember that day._ _”_ \- Jawbreaker

 

It felt like Darcy and Bucky had spent hours that first night creating the map of their relationship. After almost three six packs (not all Darcy, thanks, Bucky was like a tank) they had managed to figure out how they met (at that fundraiser, turned out they had mutual friends -cough-Steve-Thor-cough- who thought they’d like each other but Bucky had previously spotted Darcy during one of his frequent meetings at Stark Tower), Bucky’s job (sergeant in the army, now works in covert ops for the government, freelance jobs for Tony Stark once in a while) and fleshed out the details of their relationship (he hogs the covers, she talks during movies, he likes pepperoni but always gets mushrooms because she doesn’t eat pork, their favorite thing in the world is when the Yankee’s lose, she hates wearing heels but he digs them so she wears them).

 

Darcy doesn’t see Bucky for almost a week after that and it seems fine until she gets a text from her sister with serious sarcastic undertones asking Darcy about her secret boyfriend and it’s the first time since their case of beer night that she starts to doubt their planning.

 

“What you need,” Clint says between bites of his pizza, “is pictures.”

 

Darcy stops blowing bubbles in her soda and looks at him, “Huh?”

 

Clint shrugs, “You know, like, ‘awww here’s a selfie of us at the park,’ ‘haha here’s the picture I snuck when I had to sit across from you on the subway.’ You’re not on Facebook anymore, right?”

 

“Nah. I had to delete it when we went to Tromso.”

 

“Okay, so all your sister knows is that you haven’t been open about your boyfriend. Fill your phone with stupid pictures and regale her with the story of you and Bucky in person. I bet Tony knows a way to re-date them.”

 

“You, Mr. Barton, are a genius. Do you have Bucky’s number?”

 

Clint smiled, “I do what I can. Yeah, he better not kick my ass for giving out it.”

 

Darcy (1:15 p.m.): Hey, doing anything tomorrow?

 

Bucky (1:28 p.m.): Who the hell is this?

 

Darcy (1:29 p.m.): Darcy

Darcy (1:30 p.m.): Lewis

 

Bucky (1:47 p.m.): How’d you get this number?

 

Darcy (1:49 p.m.): Clint, please don’t kick his ass. I asked.

 

Bucky (2:13 p.m.): L.O.L. (is that what the kids are sayin’ these days?) I’m probably going to the gym.

 

Darcy (2:14 p.m.): That’s nice?

 

Bucky (2:15 p.m.): Tomorrow. You asked what I was doing tomorrow.

 

Darcy (2:20 p.m.): Oh…duh. If the gym doesn’t take top priority, wanna go on several dates with me?

 

Bucky (2:21 p.m.): Is that code for something?

 

Darcy (2:23 p.m.): No, it’s a long story but the short of it is, we need pictures. Bring a couple different shirts and we’ll go a couple different places. If we get an early start we can still make it to Thor’s for the game. The Giant’s are soooo going down.

 

Bucky (4:01 p.m.): 1. You’re wrong and 2. You’re probably right (about the pictures, not the Giants) 3. Is 7 too early for you?

 

Darcy (4:15 p.m.): Nah, it’s cool. I’ll bring you coffee. P.S. Darcy is totally right. Do I need to bring to your attention the 1958 Greatest Game Ever played?

 

Bucky (4:28 p.m.): What the hell are you talking about?

 

Darcy (4:29 p.m.): Google it.

 

Bucky (4:31 p.m.): You kids and your newfangled technology.

 

Darcy (4:33 p.m.): Don’t forget your cane tomorrow.

 

Bucky (7:16 p.m.): I’ll make sure the dentures are all shiny for your pictures.

 

At 7:01 the next morning, just as Darcy was about to knock, the door to Bucky’s room swung open. He had a hair tie stuck between his teeth and was dressed in his normal attire of sweatpants and hoodie.

 

“Don’t you own any other clothes?” Darcy asked as he tied his hair up.

 

“These are comfortable.” He nodded a thanks as she handed him the coffee and they made their way back to the elevator, “Besides, everyone dresses down now.”

 

She was rummaging through the giant purse she carried as they waited for the elevator, “That’s a cop out. Which is why I bought you…aha…” She pulled three pieces of fabric from her purse, “These! I hope they fit.”

 

Bucky traded Darcy his coffee for the shirts and examined each of them. One was a soft gray t-shirt that wasn’t a far cry from his hoodie, the second one was a soft denim button down with some give in the shoulders, which he was thankful for, and the third was a simple black pullover sweater.

 

“Thank you, Darcy. You didn’t have to do that.” The doors dinged open and he gestured for her to walk in before him.

 

She saluted him with her coffee cup. “I’ll hang on to them until you need ‘em. I figured we should change our clothes at different destinations.” They traded again.

 

“Good thinkin’.” He finally took a sip of his coffee, “Holy shit. Where the hell did this come from?”

 

“The Anarchist bookstore on 24th.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“They have the best coffee and if you’re lucky you can sit in on the Communist Feminist Book of the Month Club.”

 

Bucky laughed as the doors opened, “I’d fit right in.”

 

“Well, you do speak Russian.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Darcy realized she probably shouldn’t have said it. Did people even talk to Bucky about the Winter Solider? She was such an idiot.

 

Her eyes widened when she chanced a look at him. He looked at her sternly, his mouth a thin line but just as Darcy was about to curl in on herself and die he started to laugh.

"I'm fucking with you."

 

Darcy breathed out a sigh of relief and smiled, “Sorry, is that still taboo?”

 

Bucky shrugged and held the lobby door open for her, “I don’t know. I guess it should be. I’m dangerous and I was really dangerous as the Winter Solider but it just seems to ridiculous to me. I’m just a kid from Brooklyn, you know, and I have these vague, awful memories that feel like a movie playing out in my head. I have to laugh at it sometimes or else I'd go insane. Well, more insane than I already am.”

 

“You’re a good egg, Barnes.” She elbowed him lightly in the arm.

 

“Now you’re just insulting me.” Darcy noticed that he stood back a tick so he could walk on her left side, the side closest to the road. She wasn’t sure if he was being a gentleman or old fashioned or super spy but for whatever reason, it made her smile.

 

“Well, you’re no Steve.”

 

Bucky laughed, “That’s better. Where are we going anyway?”

 

“Breakfast in Bryant Park.” She tried with one hand to pull the collar of her coat up when Bucky intervened and helped flip the other side. “Thanks. Aren’t you cold?”

 

He shook his head, “I was conditioned in Russia, remember? Isn’t it supposed to rain today?”

 

“Not until later. We’ll be fine. Plus we’ve got Mini Golf to get to.”

 

“Mini Golf?”

 

“Yeah, like golf but not as boring.” They stopped at a crosswalk and Darcy noticed that he tapped his fingers impatiently against his thigh.

 

“Hmmm interesting.”

 

“I was going for photography opportunities. But after Mini Golf, it’s your call.”

 

“I didn’t know I had to plan a date.” She steered him towards a small metal trailer on the edge of the park.

 

“Mini golf’s in Brooklyn and it’s only fair if we take turns.”

 

“Jesus, I don’t know if I’d even recognize Brooklyn.”

 

“You haven’t been back?”

 

“Not yet. Haven’t been ready, you know?”

 

“We can totally go somewhere else. I can torture you with the MoMa or we can traipse around Soho or something.”

 

“Darcy, it’s fine. I’ll be fine. I’ve been meditating. Finding my Zen, as Bruce says. He makes me do yoga.” Darcy chuckled. “Are the gardens still there?”

 

“The Botanical gardens? Yeah.” Darcy twitched next to him in line, tapping her feet and clutching the last of her coffee. 

“Great!" He smiled wide, "That’s my date.”

 

Darcy laughed, “Awesome! I’ve never actually been there.”

 

Bucky chuckled, “Me neither.”

 

Darcy’s plan of food truck breakfast burritos in Bryant Park turned out to be an excellent idea. So much so that Bucky ate three. He took a picture of Darcy with guacamole on her chin and Darcy took a picture of him mid-chew.

 

On the subway ride into Brooklyn, Darcy took an “artsy fartsy” picture of the toe of his boot touching the toe of his purple ballet flat.

 

Bucky laughed the rest of the ride at the ridiculousness of “modern art” and kids taking pictures of their shoes.

 

They changed their shirts before the three surprisingly (well, maybe not) competitive rounds of mini golf. Bucky beat Darcy two out of three but she insisted that she let him win because of his “noob status.” Bucky took a picture of Darcy holding the scorecard and sulking and she showed him how to take a triumphant selfie.

 

He took a picture of her jumping over a puddle.

 

She took a picture of him scaring pigeons.

 

They got pizza on 86th street and Bucky made Darcy take a picture in front of the window because he and Steve went there the day it opened. She took a picture of him rolling his pizza like Tony Manero.

 

He sat across from her on the train ride to Prospect Park and she snuck a picture of him staring out the window. The old lady next to her chuckled and winked.

 

They changed clothes again before the Botanical Gardens and while they walked around Bucky confessed, that had it been the summer time, he probably would’ve taken her to Coney Island. Darcy made him pinkie promise to take her as soon as it opened.

 

He posed like a cactus and Darcy laughed so hard that the picture came out blurry and an old lady sssshhhhed them.

 

They tried and failed to take a selfie in front of the Prospect Park carousel and ended up asking a tourist family to take it. Bucky threw his arm around Darcy’s shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She thought she felt him rest his chin on her head for just a second before they detangled and the mother handed her camera back.

 

Bucky took a picture of Darcy riding one of the pink horses.

 

He checked his watch when they left and they decided it was time for their day of dates to end. They took a detour through the Greenmarket because Darcy wanted to buy the last sunflowers of the season. She didn’t notice when Bucky snuck a picture of her holding her wares and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

 

Bucky suggested they drop the flowers off at Darcy’s apartment before heading back to the Tower for Thor’s football extravaganza. She made quick work of putting them in an old vase, a vase that looked like something his mother would’ve brought out for Thanksgiving dinner, checked her mail, grabbed a hat and scarf, and then the pair of them headed back to Manhattan.

 

When they were a block away from the subway the rain that had been threatening all day finally overcame the clouds and the sky exploded. Within a second Darcy and Bucky were soaked to the bone and trying to catch their breath. Bucky grabbed Darcy’s arm and pulled her to the nearest place he could find, the porch of an old townhouse. Darcy pulled her dripping hat from her head, moved the sopping wet hair out of her eyes, and tried desperately to stop the eyeliner from running down her face. When she finally caught her breath, she looked over at Bucky whose equally wet hair was stuck in odd patterns to his cheeks. She couldn’t hold her laughter in.

 

“I think,” Bucky said with a chuckle, “this is the best time for a selfie.”

 

“Oh really?” Darcy raised her eyebrow.

 

“Definitely. Get over here, doll.”

 

Bucky opened his left arm to her and Darcy settled in under his shoulder. He was soaking wet but emitting enough heat that Darcy felt herself warm through at his touch. He used his right hand to lift his phone above their heads and snap a quick picture.

 

Upon review of the picture Darcy was pleased at how awful and lovely it was with their ridiculous hair and her running makeup and Bucky pulling an obnoxious but adorable face and Darcy genuinely smiling. She let out a loud guffaw when she noticed the old lady in the background, peering through the window at the odd, drenched couple taking pictures on her porch.

 

Darcy didn’t even wait until she was home. She sent Allison the picture from the platform while they waited for the 6.

 

Darcy (4:43 p.m.): It rained in Brooklyn today.

Allison (5:05 p.m.): He looks like he needs a shower. Totally your type.

 

Bucky laughed a loud, hearty laugh when she read him Allison’s text and she was finally, 100% confident that this might actually work.

 

When they got back to the Tower, Bucky offered her a warm cup of coffee and a towel before presenting her with a big, black sweatshirt and an equally humongous pair of sweatpants. When they made their way into the living room, Clint wouldn’t hide his laughter while Tony whistled.

 

“How was the day of dates?” Steve asked as Bucky sat down next to him on the world’s biggest sofa.

 

“Finally went to the Botanical Gardens.”

 

“How was it?”

 

“Not bad at all.”

 

Thor’s football extravaganza had been born out of Steve watching old football reels and Thor catching wind of it. There was something about it, he always said to anyone who would listen, that reminded him of his rough and tumble childhood days. So he started asking (guilt tripping) anyone he could into watching football with him so much so that every Sunday most of them, as long as the safety of the universe wasn’t compromised, sat around Tony’s giant screen and watched whatever game was on.

 

Bucky wasn’t one to readily join these wholesome events but Darcy noticed that he had started to make himself more and more present. He was always quiet but she could see he was making more of an effort, attempting to join conversation. When, to Darcy’s dismay, the Giants scored a touchdown, he cheered with the rest of them.

 

Steve insisted she take a cab back to Brooklyn and Bucky, spurned by Steve’s valor, insisted he stand outside with her.

 

“Why don’t you live with everybody, else? You’re here enough.” He asked as he unsuccessfully hailed a cab.

 

“I don’t really know. I just wanted something for me, I guess. Part of it was my family wouldn’t believe that a lowly lab assistant was offered a suite in Stark Tower. The barely believe I can afford my place in Brooklyn but they think I still have Student Loans. It's nice being able to have a place that’s just Darcy.”

 

“I’m kinda jealous, actually.” He tried again to get a cab and succeeded.

 

Darcy felt her shoulders slump slightly when it pulled up to the crib. “You’re getting there. You’ll have it soon.” Bucky opened the door for her and she slide into the back seat.

 

“Thanks for today.” He gave her a small smile and before she could say anything, he closed the cab door.

 

Maybe he wasn’t so bad. He certainly wasn’t so scary anymore.  And he definitely wasn’t getting his sweatshirt back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I am in awe of you guys! You’re amazing! Thank you! Thank you! P.S. This Bucky is a mix of MCU and the comics. He’s definitely more MCU but since we don’t have much to go by personality wise, I’m resorting to some later Buckyisms, not sidekick Bucky. Also, I apologize for the texting dialogue. It’s not my favorite to write but it worked for this chapter.


	3. Chapter Three: Hurricane Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, that's all mine. Everything else belongs to Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin Feige and anyone else involved in “Thor," “Captain America,” and “the Avengers.” “A Formal Weather Pattern” is taken from the title a song by Something Corporate. Hurricane Drunk is a song by Florence and the Machine.

_“Nothing in between me and the rain_ _and you can't save me now._

 _I'm in the grip of a hurricane.”_ – Florence and the Machine

 

When the Tuesday before Thanksgiving finally arrived, Darcy was way more nervous than she let on. Well, maybe she let on a little. She tried to stay at work as late as possible before Jane shoved her out with a wide smile and a “Happy Thanksgiving!”

 

She had packed that morning, showered quickly after work, and spent the better part of an hour pacing her apartment until a loud knock sounded on her door. Bucky chuckled when she opened it a millisecond later. Darcy was about to say something smart but her voice caught in her throat when she took in the sight before her. Long gone were the black sweat pants and gray hoodie. Bucky was standing in her doorway with his eyebrow raised wearing tight dark jeans and a plaid button down with the sleeves rolled up his two flesh! arms. He hadn’t forgone the combat boots and still had a nice bit of stubble but he had trimmed his hair slightly.

 

“You should take a picture, lasts longer.” Bucky said as he reached for her duffle bag.

 

“But…you look. You look like a hipster.” Darcy let out a peel of laughter.

 

Bucky scuffed at her laughter but let his smile show. “What does that mean? Clint said that too. In my day hipsters were poets, radicals. I look like every other twenty something kid in Brooklyn.”

 

“I didn’t think you owned clothes.”

 

“Clint and Natali—Natasha took me shopping. At some place called Urban Outfitters.”

 

Darcy couldn’t hold in a second wave of laughter at the image  he had created. “I would’ve loved to see that.”

 

Bucky chuckled lightly, “We were asked to leave. Grab you’re coat it’s cold.” He turned to the door but he looked back over his shoulder at her, “Is it really that bad?”

 

Darcy shrugged on her coat and shook her head, “It’s perfect, actually. You look like someone I’d date.”

 

“Good to know.” He carried her bag out onto the landing and waited for her to lock the door. “You’ve got Steve on call, right?”

 

Darcy sighed, “yep. And Tony. And Thor.” He nodded and started down the steps with Darcy trailing behind him, “I gotta ask…”

 

He turned to look at her as she almost ran into him, “The arm?” He started walking again but his gait was calm.

 

“Yeah, how did you…?”

 

His boot stomps echoed down the stairs, “It’s something Stark’s been working on at Fury’s suggestion. It’s a hologram, an illusion, but it works.”

 

Darcy trailed behind him, “Can you turn it off?”

 

“Yeah there’s a little button,” He shrugged his left shoulder, “in the shoulder joint.”

 

“That’s nifty.”

 

When they got to the street door, Bucky held it open for her. She was about to hail a cab when Bucky said, “I parked right here.”

 

He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and hit a button, which caused the black Fit parked outside of Darcy’s apartment to light up.

 

Darcy laughed again at Bucky’s attempt at normalcy, “You have a Fit?!?!”

 

He put her bag in the trunk next to his own and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, well…it’s civilian looking? I don’t know.”

 

“Do you even have a driver’s license?”

 

He closed to trunk, walked over to the passenger side, and opened the door for Darcy. “Yeah, it’s in Russian but it still counts.”

 

Bucky was probably the worst driver Darcy had ever been in a car with. He did that old man thing where he was so used to driving a clutch he still drove with two feet. He yelled at everyone they came across and wove through the city traffic even more frantically than most cabs she had been in. Somewhere around Staten Island, she couldn’t take it anymore.

 

“Can we stop at the next 7-11 or something? I need sustenance.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Fifteen minutes later they were pulling into a 7-11 off of 278. Darcy ordered Bucky to stay in the car and grabbed everything she could think of. When she got back in the car, she stuffed two blue Slurpees into the cup holders and turned to him before buckling her seatbelt.

 

He eyed the blue drinks suspiciously, “What the hell is that?”

 

“Slurpees. Do you want me to drive?”

 

“Nah, I’m all right.”

 

“You’re a furious driver. This is a Honda, not a tank, and we’ve got about three hours to go.”

 

“Darcy, I want to drive.”

 

“Is this a misogynistic thing? Like I can’t drive because I’m a girl. I know how you old fashioned guys are.”

 

At least he laughed, “It’s not that.” He sighed and turned his whole body to look at her, “I know I’m a shitty driver. I grew up in Brooklyn for Christ sake. But,” he swallowed, “I have to be in control. I can’t give that up anymore. And I trust you, Darcy, but if you drove, I’d be beyond tense the entire time and who knows what I’d be like when we finally got to your mom’s.”

 

“Oh,” Darcy smiled and patted his arm, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I won't back seat drive if you tame down the road rage a little.” He nodded and she remembered the bag in her hands, “I sort of figured you wouldn’t let me drive, so I got things. You’ve seen the blue Slurpees, but there’s also,” she rummaged around the bag, pulling out various things and throwing them into his lap, “Slim Jim’s, Skittles, and Marlboro’s.”

 

Bucky laughed, “That’s nice of ya, Darcy, but I don’t smoke anymore.”

 

“But it’ll help your road rage and you’re like 99.9% less likely to develop any kind of lung disease because, you know, super soldier.” She gestured to his torso.

 

“Fair enough.” He started the car and rolled down the window.

 

She tucked the bag under her seat, “there’s also popcorn and Funions.”

 

He opened the cigarette pack and pulled one slowly from the box. He offered it to Darcy who shook her head and handed him a pack of matches. After a long drag, he turned and smiled at her. “What are Funions?”

 

“It’s best not to question.”

 

On their almost four hour drive to Baltimore, Darcy learned that Bucky loved Funions and yellow skittles (what a weirdo), and that he never got a brain freeze anymore.

 

When they hit the turnpike, Darcy started fiddling with the radio. She plugged her iPod in and Bucky vetoed pretty much everything she played.

 

"You're such an old man." She said after he turned down the radio to the whispering decibel. 

 

"Technically, I'm still twenty-nine, kid."

 

"Then you need to start getting hip with the tunes, dude. Weezer always used to say 'if it's too loud, you're too old.' Or something like that."

 

Bucky laughed and beeped at the car in front of them, ignoring the side eye Darcy gave him. “Do I ever wanna know who Weezer is? Hang on, do me a favor and pull my phone out my pocket.”

 

“Seriously?”

 

“Yeah,” he raised his hip but kept his eyes on the road. “There’s a playlist Steve made to catch me up. I think it was Sam’s doing.”

 

Darcy braced her right hand on his thigh and fished her left hand into his pocket. She tried her hardest not to focus on how the muscle twitched. Because it didn’t, it totally did not and Darcy totally did not feel it and his thighs aren’t even that muscular, yeah right.

 

“You gotta put in your passcode.”

 

“10-22-30. My sister’s birthday.”

 

“It’s in Russian.”

 

“Yeah but you know how to work it. The music icon’s on the first page and it’s my only playlist.”

 

It took Darcy about a minute but she found it and plugged it in. The playlist was in fact pretty good and she noticed a few of the songs had been playing on the radio station she recently recommended to Steve. She noticed on more than a couple songs, Bucky hummed to himself and tapped along on the steering wheel.

 

It was close to nine when they pulled into her mother’s driveway. Despite the bumpy start, the ride had been fairly relaxing but as they drove down the quiet suburban street, Darcy’s nerves started to pick up.

 

Before getting out of the car, Bucky squeezed her knee, “It’ll be fine.”

 

“Thanks for doing this.”

 

Bucky shrugged, “Would’ve been a boring weekend at the Tower all by myself.”

 

Just as Darcy opened the door, she saw the porch light go on. Bucky followed her line of sight to see her mother walk out on the porch. Rain had started lightly falling as the wind whipped around them.

 

Bucky could see, almost immediately, how Darcy took after her mother. Mrs. Lewis was short but a little curvier than Darcy. Her hair was blonde instead of black but Darcy chanced a whisper as they got their bags out of the trunk that she dyed it. Mrs. Lewis called a greeting from the porch and Bucky could see her glasses slide down her nose as she waved.

 

“Hurry up, you too it’s cold. Allison and Jeff are already here.” Somewhere in the house a dog had started howling. Bucky found the culprit in a top floor window.

 

“We’re coming, we’re coming.” He heard Darcy mutter next to him.

 

She attempted to carry her own bag but he reached down and grabbed it out of her hand, hoisting it over his shoulder with his own.

 

Mrs. Lewis shuffled them inside as a small beagle came bounding over to Darcy followed very slowly by a tall, skinny blonde.

 

Darcy looked up at Bucky brightly from her place with the dog on the floor. “Bucky this is Scarlet, Scarlet this is Bucky.” Bucky bent down to scratch Scarlet behind the ear but she scurried away with a howl. Darcy laughed, “She hates everyone.”

 

“Except you.” Mrs. Lewis said as Darcy stood again.

 

Darcy smiled, “Except me.” She gestured between Bucky and her mother, “Mom, this is Bucky. Bucky this is Mama Lewis.”

 

Bucky held out his hand to Mrs. Lewis but she pulled him into a hug. “Call me Jean. We’re so glad you’re here. Darcy’s been single forever. I was beginning to worry about her.”

 

“Jesus, Mom.” Darcy said, already rummaging through the refrigerator.

 

“Well, it’s true. There’s some Boh’s all the way in the back.”

 

“Aha! Got ‘em. Thanks, Ma.” Darcy turned back towards Bucky with two cans of her shitty beer. She tossed him one and winked when he caught it effortlessly.

 

“Thanks for having me, Mrs. Lewis.” Bucky said earnestly as he cracked the tab on his beer can.

 

“We’re just so happy you’re here. Right, Allie?”

 

As if she had been waiting for it, Darcy’s sister perked up from her spot in the doorway. She took a sip from the wine glass she was holding and smirked. “Right you are, Mother. We thought Darce was going to end up an nun in Calcutta or something.”

 

Darcy’s smirk mimicked her sister’s, “Thanks, Al. That would’ve been an adventure, anyway. Say, where’s your fella?”

 

“Shower.” Allie made her way over towards Bucky and held out her hand. “I’m the sister.”

 

Bucky shook it for a second, noted how limp wristed she was and let go. “Nice to meet you. Darcy’s told me a lot about you.”

 

“Really? Cause she hasn’t told us a thing about you.”

 

“Yeah, Allie, I told him all about that time you took molly and…”

 

“Shut up, Darcy.” Allie cut her off.

 

“Who’s Molly?” Mrs. Lewis asked as grabbed a teakettle from the stove and moved towards the sink.

 

Darcy laughed, “An old friend of Allie’s.”

 

“I don’t remember you girls ever mentioning a Molly.”

 

“Really, Mother?” Allie sighed and glared at Darcy, “Darcy just can’t seem to forget her.”

 

“I don’t think I’m the---“ Darcy started but her mother cut her off.

 

“Darcy why don’t you and Bucky get settled and then we can all sit in the living room…like adults.” She added the last part with a stern commanding tone to her voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah all right. Where are you putting us?” Darcy attempted to pick her bag up again but Bucky swatted her away.

 

“I figured you two could go in your old room. I just put a new bed in over the summer.”

 

Darcy stopped in the doorway and tried everything she could to hide her blush. When she spoke she had a very forced and pronounced southern accent, “Why, Mother, are you really allowing my beau and I to sleep in the same room?”

 

“I’m down with the times, Darcy Anne.” Her mother chuckled, “You sound just like my mother when you do that. No go.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Darcy saluted her mother and called over her shoulder to Bucky, “forward march soldier.”

 

As soon as she entered her old bedroom Darcy flopped face first down onto the bed.

 

“God, we’re so fucking weird. I swear I get weirder around them.”

 

Bucky chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed next to her left calf. “It’s not so bad.”

 

“At least the bed’s comfy.” She said into the pillow.

 

“I can sleep on the floor.”

 

Darcy turned her head and swatted at Bucky’s shoulder, “Nope. I won’t allow it. This bed is too comfortable to have you sleep on the floor.”

 

“Really, Darcy, it’s not a big thing.”

 

“It is to me. You’re sleeping with me and that’s the end of it, Bucko.”

 

“Did you just call me Bucko?” Bucky turned and glared at her.

 

Darcy propped herself up on her elbow. “You bet I did.”

 

“That’s a serious offense where I come from.”

 

“Gonna do something about it?” Darcy raised her eyebrow.

 

Before Darcy could process that she was actually flirting with Bucky, she saw him move like a flash before he grabbed her waist and tickled her left side. Darcy writhed in torture gasping for breath between giggles for what felt like eons before a knock sounded on their door.

 

Bucky froze and Darcy coughed lightly before catching her breath. “Yeah?”

 

“Jeff’s down now and Mom wants everyone to sit around and mingle.” Allie said through the door.

 

“Okay, we’ll be down in a sec.” Darcy said in a breathless, hoarse voice.

 

 As Bucky got up from the mattress it made a horrible squeak.

 

Allie sighed from the hallway; “You’re seriously having sex already? You’ve been here like ten minutes.”

 

Bucky chuckled as Darcy groaned into the pillow.

 

She lifted her head, rolled her eyes, and shouted, “We’ll be down in a minute. At least let us finish” before groaning in her pillow again.

 

When Darcy and Bucky ambled into the living room five minutes later, she swore she heard her sister whisper “sex hair” to Jeff.

 

Their mother had arranged all of the old living room chairs around the battered fireplace. It was sort of adorable how she had sat out drinks for everyone and a little bowl of cocktail nuts. Darcy felt, for the first time since agreeing to this, that maybe it was going to be okay. And then her mother rounded on Bucky.

 

“So, Bucky,” Mrs. Lewis started, “tell us about yourself.”

 

“Well, uh,” he worried his bottom lip and scratched the back of his neck, “I grew up in Brooklyn. I live in town now but, uh, I used to live not too far from Darcy.”

 

“Oh, that’s nice. Her neighborhood seems like a good area.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not too bad. It was a little rough in my day but nothing too terrible.”

 

“Where’d you go to college?” Allie cut in, scooting to the edge of her chair and taking a neat sip from her wine glass.

 

Bucky shrugged, “I didn’t. I joined the army with my buddy, Steve.”

 

“Did you see any action?” Jeff asked with his voice full of fascination. Allie frowned.

 

Bucky grimaced slightly and nodded. “Yeah, yeah a little bit.” Darcy reached over and patted his knee. Without thinking, he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together.

 

“Bucky’s a G-man now.” Darcy said proudly.

 

Bucky laughed and squeezed her hand, “I wouldn’t put it that way. Darcy makes it sound a little more exciting than it really is.”

 

Darcy winked at him, “Only a little.”

 

Mrs. Lewis smiled at Darcy, “How did you two meet?”

 

Bucky tilted his head in Darcy’s direction, “You can take this one.”

 

“Oh, lucky me.” Darcy laughed, “So Jane’s boyfriend, Donald, works with Bucky’s friend, Steve, and basically everyone has worked at Stark Industries at some point. There was a fundraiser thing and we were all there and one thing led to another and this cute dude started talking to me and tada.”

 

“No offense but that's kind of lame. Jeff and I met at a debate team competition…” Allie started but Jeff shushed her.

 

Bucky laughed lightly, “Darcy was trying to get a drink and the bartender wasn’t paying any attention to her. Steve had pointed her out to me earlier and I had seen her around the Tower a couple of times.” Bucky smirked at Darcy, “You’re the epitome of my type.” Darcy felt herself blush, “But anyway, Steve knew I was a little sweet on her and he elbowed me over to the bar, told me to get her a drink.”

 

“Yeah, so some jerk comes up to the bar and laughs at me because I’m too short to be noticed. And then, turns into a fucking champion whistler and stops the whole party but gets the bartenders attention, buys me a drink, and then disappears.”

 

Bucky shrugged and held up his arms, “You started saying ‘hi’ to me in the hallways after that.”

 

The rest of evening carried on amiably with only a couple barbs from Allie until Darcy started falling asleep in her chair, her head bobbing lightly on Bucky’s shoulder. However, when it came time to get in bed both of them were wide-awake.

 

They were on opposite sides of the room with their backs to each other and Darcy was trying her hardest not to focus on the sounds of Bucky’s clothes dropping to the floor.

 

He cleared his throat, “So…um…my body temperature runs kind of high and it spikes when I sleep.”

 

“Okay,” Darcy said trying to find the neck hole of her t-shirt.

 

“It’s more comfortable if I sleep…you know…with out any clothes on.”

 

“Oh.” Darcy froze with her hands above her head.

 

“I mean…I don’t have to do that.”

 

“You’ll get really sweaty, won’t you?”

 

“Yeah, probably. And when my blood pressure rises that can bring on the nightmares.”

 

“It’s fine. As long as underwear is still happening.”

 

Bucky laughed lightly, “I’m not much of one but I am a gentleman sometimes. Can I turn around now?”

 

“Yeah all done.”

 

Darcy turned around at the same time Bucky did and holy shit she was not prepared for that. It was as if she had become paralyzed and all she could do was stare at his body. His body and the tiniest pair of boxer briefs Darcy had ever seen. Like seriously? What the hell was the point of them really because they weren’t covering shit.

 

She was pulled out of her reverie when Bucky sucked in a breath.

 

“It’s the scars isn’t it? They’re awful. I’m sorry…I shouldn’t of…you shouldn’t have to see…” He turned around and grabbed for his shirt.

 

Darcy closed the distance between them and put her hand gently on his shoulder, ran her fingers lightly along the scars where she knew his bionic arm was hidden. He froze, his arm in mid air with his shirt hanging from his hand.

 

“I didn’t even notice.” Darcy started, “Turn around, please.”

 

Bucky turned slowly and crossed his arms over his chest. Focus, Darcy, focus.

 

“It’s not the scars, Bucky.” Darcy swallowed, “It’s um…shit…um….get it together Lewis…”

 

“Darcy…”

 

“Shhh. Jesus, you’re really fucking hot, okay.” She let out a breath, “There, I said it. And if I have to sleep next you like that,” she pointed at his chest, “then I have to even the playing field because if I’m miserable than you have to miserable too.” And with that she turned her back to him, shimmied out of her old gym shorts so that all she had on was a ratty t-shirt and (thankfully) lacy black underwear, and smacked her ass. “Deal with it.” Then she marched over to the bed and burrowed herself into the covers.

 

Bucky hadn’t moved from his position across the room. He stared at her for a few seconds, mouth agape, before letting out a howl of laughter and walking towards the bed.

 

“You think I’m hot?”

 

“You know you’re hot.” She said, turning her back to him and taking her book off of the nightstand next to her.

 

“I know I was conditioned to be at peak physical condition and, as you said earlier, I’m a super soldier.” He laid back against the headboard with his arms behind his head.

 

Darcy looked over her shoulder and prompted turned back to her book, “Ugh. How many crunches do you do? Thousands?”

 

“I dunno. I don’t count.” He chuckled, “It could be all the yoga.”

 

Darcy turned around to face him again and poked him in the stomach, “Yeah, that’s it. Yoga.”

 

Bucky shifted and turned to look at her, his weight causing the bed to squeak again. “And Jazzercise.”

 

Darcy giggled but before she could respond there was a knock on the wall behind the headboard. They both eyed it suspiciously and strained to hear Jeff whisper “leave them alone” before Allie shouted, “Keep in mind we can hear you.” Then Jeff shouted, “Not really.”

 

Bucky turned to look at Darcy again, a devilish smirk playing on his lips and his eyebrow raised.

 

“What?” Darcy whispered.

 

“Wanna annoy your sister and make her a little jealous at the same time?” He whispered back.

 

Darcy bit her lip, took in Bucky’s devilish grin again and then she got it. Her eyes grew wide as she nodded emphatically.

 

Bucky nodded and shifted his weight with more purpose this time. The bed let out a resounding squeak. He repeated the action just as Darcy let an exaggerated moan escape her lips. The repeated the pattern several times until Darcy added in little mewling sounds that sounded just like his name that Bucky really tried very hard to ignore. After a couple more minutes of that with Bucky’s name on Darcy’s lip growing louder, they made the bed shift again and Jesus, Darcy had a mouth on her because obscene things were coming out of it as Bucky added his own hoarse whispers. They had a good system going with Darcy having to cover his giggles every couple of minutes and Bucky focusing on the task at hand and not Darcy’s dirty talk when finally the headboard knocked up against the wall and Darcy threw a pillow in her face to muffle a loud guffaw.

 

Like clockwork they could hear short, angry stomps coming towards their door before a resounding knock.

 

Darcy smiled wide and rolled her eyes at Bucky before saying, as breathless as she could, “Hang on.”

 

She made to get up from the bed but Bucky stopped her. “I got it.”

 

She watched him curiously as he rose from the bed, bit his lips a few times, ruffled his hands through his hair, then grabbed the sheet off of the bed and slung it around his waist.

 

He opened the door slowly and Darcy could just make out the curve of his smile as Allie on the other side of the door. Darcy could hear the old loose floorboard whine as Allie took a step back, clearly expecting Darcy.

 

Allie cleared her throat as Bucky held his polite smile. “Oh...oh...um...Can you guys please keep it down?”

 

He ran a hand through his hair at an attempt to look bashful, “Oh, gosh, Allison. I’m awful sorry. We didn’t even realize.”

 

“It’s…it’s all right.”

 

“Sorry about that. We’ll be quiet.” He gave her a little wave and Darcy could hear less angry footsteps going back into her room.

 

Bucky closed the door and threw the sheet back on the bed. They made quick work and tucking all of the blankets back in neatly.

 

Darcy giggled when they settled back in and whispered, “That’s probably the best fake sex I’ve ever had.”

 

Bucky chuckled, “You an old pro at it, then?”

 

“Maybe once or twice.” Darcy shrugged and pulled her book back off the nightstand.

 

“You’re not too bad, kid.” Bucky settled into his earlier position of resting against the headboard.

 

Darcy poked him in the side, “Neither are you, old man.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: You guys are awesome! Thanks for reading! P.S. Donald Blake is an alter ego Thor uses in the comics which is why Darcy calls him Donald here. Also, this chapter is kind of ridiculous.


	4. Chapter Four: Let It Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot, that's all mine. Everything else belongs to Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kevin Feige and anyone else involved in “Thor," “Captain America,” and “the Avengers.” “A Formal Weather Pattern” is taken from the title a song by Something Corporate. "Let It Rain" is a song by Chuck Ragan.

 

_“Another full moon sky, through the trees and filtered light. And the silence oh my dear, is the storm drawing near.” – Chuck Ragan_

Darcy was thankful when she woke up the next morning to an otherwise empty bed. There had been an embarrassing incident in the middle of the night where she had wrapped herself around Bucky and awoke at the feeling of him gently trying to pry her off of him.

She made the bed, sulked at the perpetual clouds outside, relished at the chill in the old house, and dug through her bag for the sweatshirt that Bucky had leant her. She hadn't been lying about not giving it back. It was warm and comfy and had the distinct smell of boy, which was Darcy's favorite thing about boys' clothes.

She made her way down the stairs and cringed slightly when she heard her mother and her sister's voices.

"I don't know... It’s just weird that she has a boyfriend." She heard Allison whisper.

"He seems nice and he obviously treats her well."

"Yeah so did Danny O'Brien."

Darcy cleared her throat as she walked into the kitchen. "Danny O'Brien's gay."

"What?!" Darcy's mother said at the same time Allison said, "No, he's not."

"Yep," Darcy said pulling out a chair at the kitchen table and plopping into it. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone so that stays between us." She narrowed her eyes at her sister, "I mean it, Allie."

"Hey, I'm a bitch but I'd never out anyone who didn't want to be outed."

Darcy's mother sat a cup of tea down in from of Darcy and took the seat across from Allison.

"That explains a lot,” Mrs. Lewis offered thoughtfully, “At least now we know it wasn’t something you did. And yes, before you comment, this is still a coffee free house. Your boyfriend said he'd bring some back after his run."

Darcy smiled and Allison sighed into her mug.

"Well, I guess he's better than Eddie Howard." Her sister offered

Darcy's mother laughed without any mirth, "Anyone would be better than Eddie Howard."

"I thought you were dating some English guy, DB." Allison pestered, holding her mug up to her lips to hide her smirk.

"Yeah, well, he kind of almost cost me my job. So that sort of ended things."

Darcy was saved from having to go into detail about Ian and Hydra and all of that bullshit when her phone beeped. She didn’t bother hiding her smile.

"That's a Danny O'Brien smile." Her mother said with a tap on the table.

"Yeah, speak of the Devil." Darcy read from the message, "he wants to know if I'm going to Mouse's tonight."

"Barf. Mouse's is so gross." Darcy rolled her eyes at her sister.

"They redid it." Her mother offered.

"So where are you going then?" Darcy said snarkily.

"Duh, the tavern." Allison gave Darcy a wide grin.

Darcy laughed. "Of course you're going to the Tavern. That's a hotbed for yuppies in Oxfords and boat shoes."

"Jeff's meeting up with some friends from school and all the City Catholic girls will be there."

"Jeff went to St. Mark's didn't he?" Allison nodded.

"Ha, I knew it. Where is he anyway?" Darcy took a sip of her tea and grimaced.

"He's at Turkey Bowl."

"Of course he is."

"What's Turkey Bowl?" A gruff voice said from the doorway. All three women jumped and turned towards the noise as Bucky's cheeks tinted pink.

"Sorry, probably should've coughed or something.” He smiled sheepishly, walked into the kitchen and gave Darcy’s shoulder a squeeze. “Morning, Allison. Darcy."

He was sweaty from his run with strands of wet, brown hair falling into his eyes. He was in his uniform of grey sweatpants and black hoodie but it was the first time Darcy realized how good they looked on him. She visibly gulped as he handed her the paper coffee cup.

She took a sip and smiled when she realized it was just how she liked it.

"I've been looking for that sweat shirt." He bit his lip and nodded down at Darcy.

"It's mine now. Likes me better."

"I bet it does." He winked at her.

"Turkey Bowl is a football game and you guys are so gross." Allison scowled into her tea mug.

Bucky chuckled and Darcy blushed.

"Is it all right if I use the shower?" Bucky ducked his head at Mrs. Lewis.

"Of course, hon. The knob’s a little tricky."

"Thanks. I'll figure it out." He waved at the three women before heading back into the hallway.

Mrs. Lewis watched Bucky leave the room then cleared her throat. "Is Mary Margaret going to be at Mouse’s?"

Darcy checked her phone, "Apparently with her asshole husband."

"You should go." Mrs. Lewis said.

Allison followed their mother's train of thought quicker than Darcy and laughed, "MM would shit herself if she saw you walk in with Bucky. Like she'd question her life decisions to see you with somebody better than John."

Mrs. Lewis quirked an eyebrow, "Danny O'Brien might too."

Darcy started laughing, "Allison Helen Lewis, such language. Do you really think he’s better than John? Why are you being so nice?"

"I'm not being nice, I just think MM's a cunt and I would be proud if you showed her up once in a while. I never understood why you were friends with her. And maybe if I'm nice you'll stop with the nighttime activity. That's what Jeff thinks anyway."

"Jeff's a good egg." Darcy said with a nod.

"He is." Mrs. Lewis confirmed, "Bucky seems to be too."

Darcy smiled, "He is."

After spending the day giving Bucky a tour of her city, picking up last minute groceries for her mother, and making casseroles with Allison, Darcy gave in and drug Bucky to Mouse’s.

Mouse’s was one of the oldest bars in her neighborhood and Darcy was a frequent visitor from post adolescence on. She usually avoided the small establishment on her infrequent trips home because of the probability of running into someone from before. Darcy categorized her life into two stages: before and after. Before was pre-Culver, any time that didn’t include the existence of an alternate dimension or Avengers or evil Elves. After was all of the above. When Darcy’s life started to transition into the after phase she found it harder and harder being at places and around people from the before phase. It seemed pretty obvious why and she had never really had to explain it, even to herself but when she and Bucky walked into Mouse’s and the before and after phases collided she realized why.

She was smacked in the face with that realization as Mary Margaret came running towards her. She had met Mary Margaret the summer after high school when they had both worked at the same dingy coffee shop. Darcy hated Mary Margaret almost immediately. She was selfish, condescending, and judgmental. But she was also single and liked bar hopping and, somehow, she and Darcy became friends. Every break from school when they were both home, the old times would pick up until Mary Margaret met John, her now husband, and Darcy’s life transitioned into the after. And then, whenever Darcy was around her, she couldn’t tolerate the closed-mindedness or the put downs anymore.

And now Mary Margaret was running towards her in a perfectly smart cashmere sweater and jeans, her red hair shining in the bar light while Darcy grabbed the hand of the man standing next to her, an ex-Hydra assassin who had killed more than a hundred people and, somehow, Darcy felt safer with him than her old friend.

“Oh my god! Darcy! Danny said you might come!” Darcy let the taller woman envelope her into a hug. “And who is this?”

“Yeah, I’m glad we could make it this time.” She gestured between Bucky and Mary Margaret, “This is my boyfriend, Bucky.”

“Holy shit. You finally got a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me.”  
Darcy put her arm around his waist and patted him lightly on the stomach, “I wanted to keep him all to myself.”

“Come on, we’re all at the end of the bar.” Mary Margaret grabbed Darcy’s hand and tugged her.

“Here you go, Trouble.” Darcy heard a crusty voice coming from the bar. When she turned she found the old barman holding two bottles of her favorite beer. “One for your fella too.”

“I like what you’ve done with the place, Scott.”

“Brings all the college kids now. How’s the big city treating you?”

“Pretty good, pretty good.”

“I’ll start you a tab but this round’s on the house.”

“You’re too good to me, Scott.”

“Don’t I know it.”

As Darcy caught up to Mary Margaret at the back of the bar, she felt Bucky’s hand press lightly on her back. “Everyone” turned out to be John and Danny and a couple kids Darcy had known in high school.

It took Mary Margaret a beer and a half until she rounded on Bucky. Before that she was speeding Darcy up on their life, “You’ve got to stop by the new house. Two car garage. I had to beg John to move to Jacksonville but he loves the acreage. We’re going to start trying for a baby after the holidays and since his promotion at work things have been really busy. He wants me to stop teaching for the baby too. I’ll probably end up doing that anyway. Got a new car last month. Drives like a dream. You’re still in school, right? Just can’t seem to finish that degree, huh? I’m sure there’s a lot of mature students like you now. Is that how you met Bucky?”

“No, uh,” Bucky said, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck, “We met at a work thing.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes went wide, “Oh, you’re just a lab assistant too, then?”

Bucky chuckled but before he can say anything Darcy jumped in, “Bucky works with Tony Stark.”

“Really?” Mary Margaret smirked over her wine glass.

“Yeah, freelance stuff, once in a while. But you know, Darcy isn’t just a lab assistant. Jane’s lab would combust, has in fact, without Darcy.”

Mary Margaret laughed at that, “Yeah, I bet.”

Darcy noticed a small, quiet snarl come from Bucky so she did the first thing she could think of, pulled herself up using his forearm for leverage and kissed him on the corner of his mouth.

She smiled coyly at Mary Margaret and willed herself not to blush, “Bucky’s my biggest fan.”

“Not your only one, though.” A jovial voice came from behind Darcy. She turned to see Danny O’Brien, arms wide for her.

“Danny!” She squeezed him with all her strength, “It’s great to see you man.” She tugged on Bucky’s arm and turned him towards them, “this is my boyfriend, Bucky. Bucky, my dear friend, Danny.”

Danny took the hand Bucky offered and smiled wide, “It’s great to meet you, man. Allison told me you were seeing someone.”

“Yeah? When did you see her?” Darcy took a swig of her beer.

“About a month ago? She said she was home for an engagement party. I went to school with Jeff.”

“Oh shit, that’s right. I totally forgot you went there. He seems like an all right guy.” Darcy felt Bucky’s hand go to the small of her back again.

“Yeah, he’s decent. He’ll mellow her out.” Darcy laughed, “But I’ve gotta grill the guy who’s stolen our Darcy’s heart.”

“Oh! I want in on this.” Mary Margaret rushed over and high fived Danny, “they were just telling me how they met.”

Darcy rolled her eyes, “Seriously, guys? My mom already did the honors.”

Danny frowned at Bucky, “Those Mama Lewis interrogations are the worst.”

Bucky laughed lightly, “I’ve had worse.” Darcy elbowed him but smiled wide.

“We met at a work party. Some friends introduced us, Bucky bought me a drink.” Darcy took a long swig from her beer then rolled the empty bottle in her hands.

“How long have you been together?” John, apparently, had to know the details too. He shook Bucky’s hand, “John. Mary Margaret’s husband.”

Darcy noticed Bucky had stood a little taller when Danny joined the conversation but he openly appraised John, a slight scowl on his face.

“You look like a military man, John.” Bucky quirked his head.

He nodded at Bucky, “Navy.”

Mary Margaret sighed and started grilling Danny on his love life.

“Oh yeah? See any combat?” Bucky took a sip of his drink.

“Not really. I’m more reserve. Why do you ask?”

“We can smell our own, I guess.” He raised his bottle and mock saluted John, “Army.”

“See any action?”

Bucky nodded and bit his lip, “Yeah, did a couple tours.”

Mary Margaret walked over and leaned her head on John’s shoulder, “I know you boys are talking shop but can you pleaseeee get me another drink?”

“I’m on it, honey.”

Bucky drained his bottle and smiled at Darcy, “Want another one?”

She smiled back, “Yes, please.”

As soon as they walked away Mary Margaret started on her, “I can’t believe you’re dating an Army guy. That’s so not like you. I mean, he looks like he’s some artist from Brooklyn but an Army guy. Wow, Darcy.”

Danny chuckled, “MM, I think there’s a lot about Darcy you wouldn’t believe.” He winked at her.

Darcy smiled at Danny, “I’m gonna see if they need help carrying.”

As she made her way to the bar she could hear John’s voice carrying over the crowd.

“Look, you seem like a decent guy. So I gotta be straight with you. Darcy, man, she’s wild. Drinks too much, partys too hard. She’s a nice girl and all but, you gotta know, she’s slept with a ton of guys. It’s gotta be in the double digits by now.”

Darcy couldn’t see over the throng of people but she heard Bucky sigh, “How do you even know that?”

“Mary Margaret’s her best friend.”

“Right.” Bucky’s voice was even, slightly monotonous, “Listen, that’s my girl you’re talking about. She’s a hell of a girl too. She’s clever and funny and compassionate and I really don’t give a fuck how many people she’s slept with. And you should know that she could probably kick your ass but probably wouldn’t because she respects Mary Margaret but I’m not above that. I’ve seen a lot of shit and I have a very special skill set that I’d be more than happy to demonstrate if you wanna keep talking about my girl that way.”

Darcy turned on a dime and made her way back to Mary Margaret and Danny.

“That was fast.” Mary Margaret said.

“I couldn’t find them in the crowd.” Darcy shrugged. “So what’s new with you guys?”

Darcy made idle chit chat until Bucky and John made their way back. When Bucky handed her her drink she threw her arms around his middle and didn’t let go the entire night.

They lasted two more beers before Darcy decided she had had enough and they made their way home.

“Why are you friends with those people? Danny seems okay but John and Mary Margaret?”

Darcy shrugged, “Danny’s good people but Mary Margaret and I haven’t been friends in a long time. We had fun together in college, when we didn’t really have anybody else but it’s a lot different now. And John’s just…a dick?”

Bucky laughed, “Yeah, I had a pretty good read on him right away. I didn’t like the way her looked at you.”

Darcy stopped and grabbed his shoulder, motioning for Bucky to look at her.

“I heard you guys talking.”

“Shit, Darcy, that guy’s an asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah he is. You know, she was also in love with somebody else when she married him and I’m pretty sure she told him I was slutty to take some pressure off of herself.” Darcy chuckled, “I don’t give a shit about what that douche thinks of me. But, I do care about what you said.”

“Darcy…”

Darcy cut him off by grabbing his left hand. “How do you turn this thing off?”

“No, Darcy.”

“It’s in the shoulder, right?” Darcy braced herself, leaned on her tip toes, and tugged on the collar off his pullover, running her hands along the seam of his arm until she found it.

She felt the cool metal in her hand almost instantly. “Wow, it’s so cold.”

Bucky tried to tug his hand away but Darcy tightened her grip.

“You didn’t have to defend me like that.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Why?”

“Because what I said is true. You’re whip smart and hilarious and probably the nicest goddamn person I know, sincere, and thoughtful, and you never expect anything from anybody.” Darcy laced their fingers together, “Do you know how many people that hand has killed?”

“I have a rough idea.”

“Then why are you holding it?”

“Because, you idiot, this hand,” She raised their joined hands and shook them in his face, “is not you. You were brainwashed by sadistic scientists and turned into a machine. That was not you. You are gentle and kindhearted and intelligent too and happen to have a metal arm. This arm isn’t all you. It’s a part of you and it’s in your control now.”

“Darcy.”

“No, no talking.” She swung their hands back and forth, “let’s go.”

When they reached his car, Bucky tugged lightly on her hand so she was facing him.

“I really wanna kiss you right now.”

She raised her chin to boldness “So why don’t you?”

Bucky shook his head, “Bad idea.”

“No it isn’t.” She started on her tiptoes but be backed away slightly.

“Yes, it is.”

He tugged his hand out of her own, fished around his shoulder until the flesh appeared over the metal then opened the car door for her.

The ride back to the house was silent except for Darcy pointing out landmarks from her life every once in a while. When they made it home, Bucky mumbled about going for a run and bolted down the driveway.

Darcy pretended to sleep when she heard their door open, tried to even her breathing and follow his sounds until the bed dipped under his weight.

When she woke up the next morning, as was beginning to be the norm, she was alone again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: You guys are the best and I am forever grateful for everyone’s patience with me.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Hey guys! So, as some of you know, I can’t stay away from the fake relationship trope and I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. Enjoy!


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